Using a Nebulizer for Asthma Treatment

A nebulizer is an electric atomizer used to deliver medicine to help control severe asthma. It contains the same medicine that is found in your inhaler, except it delivers it in a different, more effective way. A nebulizer is often only used on people who are too sick or too young to use an inhaler.

So how does a nebulizer work? A nebulizer is a device that compresses the medicine and turns it into an air mist that you can breathe in easily using the mouth piece or mask. There are a range of different nebulizers available including convenient, portable nebulizers (click here for an affordable one from Supply Doctor) that you can move around with you when need be.

Here’s how to use a nebulizer…

1. Always check with your doctor first for any specific instructions and read through the package details.

2. Get familiar with every part of the nebulizer before you use it.

3. Find somewhere comfortable, sit down and relax.

4. Hold the mask in place and breathe in and out evenly until the medicine is completely vaporized out of the cup.

5. If you are using a face mask, put it in place over your nose and mouth.

6. Be aware that the process of using a nebulizer can take up to 10 minutes.

7. When you are done, clean the mouthpiece or face mask as well as the medicine cup – not cleaning your nebulizer can result in bacterial infections!

Nebulizers can provide instant relief when your inhaler fails to work. Always ask your doctor first and keep in mind that when it comes to asthma it’s always good to be one step ahead!

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How do fetal monitors work?

Using an electronic fetal monitor is the best method of monitoring your baby during labour. It is the one piece of equipment that is routinely used in all labours, both normal and abnormal.

The fetal monitor may look quite impressive, but it is just a more sophisticated version of the monitor that your doctor used to check your baby’s heart rate at each prenatal visit. It works on the same principle, using ultrasound waves to detect the movement of the fetal heart, and translating the changes in the waves to sound.

The monitor can create a visual record of the heart rate because it contains a computer that instantaneously calculates the heart rate and displays the number. A pen then continuously records the changing heart rate, producing a permanent graphic record. A second pen then records the contraction pattern below the heart rate on the monitor paper.

Monitoring contractions is very important because the heart rate pattern is almost impossible to interpret, unless you know when the contractions are occurring.

So, what do we learn from fetal monitoring? Monitoring the fetal heart rate can give valuable information about the baby’s well-being, and its health in the last trimester of pregnancy. Also, fetal monitoring can be used to assess how well the fetus is tolerating the stresses of labour.

Electronic fetal monitoring itself is not painful at all. That said, some mons-to-be find it quite uncomfortable to have the transducers strapped to their belly during labour. Being tethered to a monitor can limit your movement and make it harder to cope with contractions too.

Looking for an affordable, quality fetal monitor? Or maybe you need other medical equipment and supplies? Place your order on Supply Doctor today! 

Medical Equipment every Doctor’s Office Needs

Starting up a business requires quite a large amount of expenses for office equipment and supplies. On top of the computers, printers, phones, and desks found in any other office, a medical practice requires some specialized equipment for diagnosing and treating patients. Here is an overview of the basic items needed for the standard doctor's office…

1. Furniture: Waiting, Exam, Office, and Filing
Every medical office has a waiting room, and this room gives a patient their first impression of a practice. Chairs and tables and maybe a few plants and magazine racks may not sound so important, but the decor of the waiting room can do a lot to set a patient at ease during an anxious time.

The next thing a patient sees is likely to be the exam room, which also needs to appear professional yet soothing. Exam room furnishings include an exam table, a chair or stool for the doctor, often on wheels, and usually a chair for the patient's companion. There will also be a counter and cabinets for supplies.

Depending on the practice, there may also be a computer and large-screen monitor for a doctor to show the results of any x-rays or scans to the patient.

Finally, medical offices require specialized filing and storage solutions for patient documents. Depending on the size of the practice, they can be quite elaborate and large. These involve shelving systems and color-coded files for patient reports.

2. Equipment
Every practice will have specialized equipment such as toys and child-sized items for pediatricians, and fetal monitoring devices for obstetricians. But most medical offices will require some basic diagnostic tools. These can include thermometers, pulse oximeters, sphygmomanometers (better known as blood pressure monitors), audiometers, and stethoscopes. Larger equipment can include EKG machines.

Behind-the-scenes diagnostic equipment often includes microscopes and slide preparation supplies for sample analysis. More complex testing will usually occur at an offsite laboratory, but a small laboratory within the office is good for quick reviews.

Modern offices prefer single-use tools for a variety of purposes as they are more convenient and sterile. But some items such as scalpels, speculums, and extractors need to be cleaned and sterilized for reuse. This procedure involves the use of an autoclave and its associated trays and water filtration system.

3. Consumables
These include any supplies that need to be replaced regularly, such as sterile gloves, paper exam gowns and covers for exam tables, cotton swabs, gauze, tongue depressors, alcohol prep pads, sample containers, chemical test strips, suturing equipment, syringes, disposable instruments, and of course all the standard office, kitchen, and restroom supplies.

A medical office still must function as an office. Finally, most medical offices carry first-aid products and medications, usually for use within the office and not for dispensing to patients. Depending on the practice, these can include antibiotic ointments, topical numbing agents, hydrogen peroxide, and sterile solution.

Like any business, a medical office needs to be well stocked and attractively furnished. It also needs to be prepared for any emergency. A reliable source for medical office equipment and supplies is essential to any practice. To keep a medical practice operating smoothly, contact Supply Doctor for a wide variety of medical supplies and equipment.

The importance of wearing medical gloves

Medical gloves are one of the most important pieces of medical equipment in the medical and health industry. They are an essential PPE that the Food and Drug Administration regulates, and they must ALWAYS be leak and tear resistant and packaged in sterile packaging.

The key fact is to find a reliable medical supply and equipment store and you’re sorted! Visit Supply Doctor, where there are thousands of medical supply products to choose from.

Medical gloves are disposable, so they are specifically designed to be worn only once. The main purpose of gloves is to protect patients and health care workers from germs, infection and from coming into contact with certain dangerous substances.

Gloves should be worn every time you touch blood, bodily fluids, bodily tissues, mucous membranes, hazardous drugs or broken skin. Doctors take note here: you should wear gloves for this sort of contact, even if the patient you are dealing with seems healthy and has no sign of any germs.

It is so important that the gloves actually fit your properly and cover the hand and part of the wrist. The gloves should be made of latex or a strong synthetic material like PVC or nitrile. Caregivers should always wash their hands properly before putting on the gloves and take special care when handling sharp objects.

Gloves can accidentally become ripped or torn, this means that they should be changed immediately and the old gloves should be thrown away. In fact, the golden rule is to NEVER ever reuse gloves!

But how you properly remove gloves?

When you take the gloves off make sure the outside of the gloves do not touch your bare hands. 

Follow these simple steps:

- Grab the top of the right glove with your left hand
- Pull toward your fingertips – the glove will turn inside out
- Hold onto the empty glove with your left hand
- Put two right hand fingers in the top of your left glove
- Pull towards your fingertips until you have pulled the glove inside out and off your hand. The right glove should be inside the left glove now
- Throw the gloves away in a proper bin

It is essential to maintain excellent hygiene when dealing with patients, especially during surgeries and operations. Doctors always need to wear medical gloves to protect the patient from infections during surgeries and maintain hygiene.